Motion sensors are crucial components of most home security systems, but can homeowners with pets utilize this security measure? The answer is yes.
Motion sensors – usually placed in high traffic areas – are pretty straightforward in terms of functionality. When the regular sensor pattern is interrupted, the system realizes that something is moving in front of that motion sensor and an alarm is triggered.
When throwing pets into the mix, however, things can get a little more complicated. Luckily, there are a few easy options when it comes to equipping your alarm system in a pet-friendly manner.
A simple way to have motion detectors in your home without possible false alarms is to keep your cats and dogs out of the specific areas covered by motion sensors.
There are a few ways to accomplish this:
One way is to keep your pets in a specific room when you leave the house such as a bedroom. If your furry friend needs more room to roam, you could use gates to section off the parts of the house that have motion detectors. This might not be possible for all homeowners depending on the layout of your house.
Another option for arming your home is to aim the sensors so they don’t hit the ground. If you decide to go with this alternative, aim the sensors high enough so your pets will not set them off, but low enough so it will detect human movement (make sure you have this done by a security professional). This isn’t the safest option, but it will easily detect the average upright burglar.
Depending on the system, some motion sensors do not react to small or medium sized pets. These motion detectors are pet-friendly because they can ignore motions based on the mass of an animal or based on the direction of movement.
Some motion detectors can distinguish between motions moving left to right and motions moving up and down. The issue with these detectors would be if you have a feline friend that likes to jump up on the top of your furniture. If you have a larger dog (over 70 pounds) you might need a more advanced sensor.
Having pet immune motion sensors may cost more than the average sensor so be sure to ask your security company.
Pets are family members, too. After all, we all want to keep our furry friends safe even when we aren’t at home. Taking them into account when installing an alarm system doesn’t have to be “ruff.”
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